A typical cotton harvester includes a plurality of harvesting units at a forward end thereof for picking or harvesting adjacent rows of cotton as the harvester is driven across a field. The cotton removed from the plants by the harvesting units is directed through a cotton conveying system and is ultimately discharged into a receptacle or basket.
A conventional cotton conveying system includes lower duct structure for directly receiving cotton from the harvesting units and upper duct structure depending from the cotton receptacle and arranged in cotton conveying relation with the lower duct structure. To permit vertical displacement of the harvesting units between a lower operating position and an upper transport position, the duct structures telescope one inside of the other.
Recent advancements in cotton harvesters allow the harvesting units to be easily and laterally moved relative to each other. The ability to laterally move the harvesting units facilitates inspection and/or servicing thereof and furthermore promotes adjustability for different row spacings. Extended lateral movement of the harvesting unit, however, may be severely hampered by the duct structures of the cotton conveying system connected thereto. The inflexibility of the duct structures to move in a lateral direction has sometimes required that the lower duct structure be disconnected from either the harvesting unit or the upper duct structure before the harvesting unit is moved to a serviceable position.
As will be appreciated, disconnecting the duct structure from the harvesting unit or from associated duct structure to facilitate lateral movement of the harvesting unit is awkward and time consuming. The problem is exacerbated when other panels or portions on the harvesting unit must be removed to gain access to a harvesting mechanism therewithin. Moreover, additional time is involved to reconnect the duct structure to either the harvesting unit or other duct structure before the harvesting operation can commence. Of course, during a harvesting operation, time is at a premium.
Thus, there is a need and a desire for a cotton conveying structure which promotes both vertical and lateral movements of harvesting units while maintaining integrity of the cotton conveying structure.